Apr 16 Food For Thought by Matis Shulman and Moshe Stavsky

1. In reference to buying and selling land in regards to יובל, the Torah orders that any field or house must be returned to its original owner as the Torah states in פרק כה:כג, והארץ לא תמכר לצמיתת כי לי הארץ - That land shall not be sold permanently for the land is mine. Based on this, there should be no exceptions to this rule of יובל. However, the Torah states in regards to a house in the walls of a city in כה:ל, לצמיתת לקנה אתו לדרתיו לא יצא ביבל - [if the house is not redeemed in a year] then it will be permanently owned by the one who bought it. How can the Torah contradict itself? Another question emerges concerning כי לי כל הארץ. Why should the fact that the house goes back to the original owner show that the land belongs to Hashem? Shouldn't that cause the original owner to think that the land does not belong to Hashem, but rather to himself?

2. The last Pasuk in Behar states את שבתותי תשמרו ומקדשי תיראו - One must observe the Shabbat and fear the מקדש. This Pasuk is an exact repetition of יט:ל in קדושים. Furthermore, both Pesukim are adjacent to warnings about עבודה זרה. Why is this Pasuk repeated and what extra commandment does this second Pasuk in Behar add? In addition, what does the Mitzvah of observing Shabbat and fearing the מקדש have to do with עבודה זרה?

3. Towards the end of בחקותי, we find the laws of תמורה. The Torah states לא יחליפנו ולא ימיר אותו טוב ברע או רע בטוב - One may not switch and change a good animal with a bad animal or vice-versa. Why does the Torah have to say טוב ברע או רע בטוב if there will be no monetary difference in the Korban since the end result is that both of the animals are going to become קדוש?